A ballot measure aimed at funding critical repairs at eight public buildings has drawn a clear line in the 2026 Boulder municipal election.
Ballot Measure 2K authorizes the city to take on up to $400 million in debt to fund repairs at, or replacements, of two fire stations, the Public Safety Building, the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, the Municipal Services Center, the South Boulder Recreation Center, the North Boulder Recreation Center and the West Age Well Center. If the measure is passed, the West Age Well Center will move into the NBRC. The maximum repayment cost of the bond is $650 million.
A separate measure, 2M, changes the city charter to allow the city to take on more debt. If passed, the measure would add an extra 6.352 mills to property taxes. So, the owner of a $1 million property could pay an extra $400 in annual property taxes for 20 years.
2K and 2M are the only city-sponsored measures with organized opposition this election cycle. The No on 2K Campaign, which also urges voters to vote “no” on 2M, is backed by 11 former Boulder City Council members, three former mayors and two former state representatives. Organizations such as the Boulder Chamber of Commerce also publicly oppose the measure through No on 2K. The committee has drawn $13,313.04 in contributions as of the Oct. 20 campaign finance.
What’s divisive about the measure isn’t necessarily the city asking voters to fund the infrastructure work. The issues mostly stem from a perceived lack of proper public engagement on the measure coupled with the price tag. They want the city to do a more thorough public engagement process.
“There was a lack of outreach and engagement of the business community, our residents, in understanding the nature of this tax increase, what are the specific needs of these facilities, and are there opportunities to value engineer some of these investments to reduce the cost of the bond measure,” said John Tayer, CEO of the Boulder Chamber. “Generally, are there opportunities for trade-offs within the budget to accommodate these investments in another way?”
But the ballot supporters argue that delaying the process is only going to mean higher costs.
Developing a new Public Safety Building could cost $170 million, though that could be significantly lower if the city finds an existing building to move police operations to. Fire Station 1, at 2441 13th St., and Fire Station 5, at 909 Arapahoe Ave., would get about $5 million and $2 million, respectively, for repairs and renovations. The Penfield Tate II Municipal Building at 1777 Broadway would get about $30 million. About $100 million would be dedicated to a new city services building at 5050 Pearl St., which houses municipal vehicles. About $65 million would be dedicated to a new SBRC, at 1360 Gillaspie Drive. The NBRC, 3170 Broadway, would receive about $72 million.
“Fundamentally, it’s just about whether we want to keep having as many city facilities and services and things as we have currently,” said Boulder City Councilmember Nicole Speer, a supporter of the measure. She later added: “Do we want to continue to invest in some of this infrastructure?”
The city polled residents via phone and online June 2-9. But the proposed measure polled poorly, with 45% of likely voters showing support and 44% being opposed.
City staff recently told the Boulder City Council that they may have found an existing building that could serve as the new Public Safety Building and 911 dispatch center, essentially the police headquarters, which could mean the city could take on less debt through 2K. However, that raised more concerns from 2K opponents, who said that the revelation could be representative that the city didn’t properly do its homework before going to voters with such a large ask.
In a Q&A for the Daily Camera’s voter guide, Mayor Aaron Brockett, the only mayoral candidate for the measure, said: “The bond amount is large, but given that construction cost inflation is rising much faster than (the consumer price index), if we kick the can down the road on these facility investments, we’ll only get further behind and it will be that much harder to catch up.”
Call for transparency
On a windy October day, about a dozen supporters of the No on 2K Campaign gathered in front of the Alpine Balsam project north of downtown Boulder for a news conference. That project itself has fallen under scrutiny during this election cycle because of its $366 million price tag. Alpine Balsam will be a mixed-use development that will house some city offices and residential housing.
Allyn Feinberg, chair of PLAN Boulder, a group that advocates for open space and community-driven development, said at the conference that the bond is essentially the council asking voters to just trust them.
“We’re standing in front of a poster child for ‘trust us,'” said Feinberg, who later added: “They need to show us plans, cost estimates, timeline and responsibility.”
Tayer noted that the Boulder Chamber is usually hesitant to support property tax hikes because of the strain they can put on businesses. But he said the organization previously supported property tax increases brought forward by the Boulder Valley School District. That process should be the north star for future efforts if 2K fails, he said.
“Highly engaged processes involving subcommittees that have analyzed the conditions of buildings, have then assessed what are the priority investments that are needed,” said Tayer, who was at the conference.
Terri Brncic, an opponent of the measure who is on the board of directors for Open Boulder, a group that says it advocates for “pragmatic policies” on local issues, was also at the news conference. “The number one priority is a capital advisory committee, if you will, that would oversee from beginning to end the process of developing the budget, ongoing performance recording, and making sure that the City Council is fully apprised and aware of capital spending,” said Brncic, who added that the group is also urging the city to hire an independent auditor who would be tasked with looking at the effectiveness of city programs. “We think this would provide just one more layer of oversight and reassurance for the community and the City Council that we are doing everything we can to use taxpayer dollars most effectively.”
Speer chalked up opposition to mistrust in local government. “We can certainly continue to have a conversation over the next couple years,” Speer said, “but in the meantime, our buildings will continue deteriorating.”
Speer thinks there was enough engagement for the measure but that it looked different from what residents may have been expecting. She thinks years of engagement can be seen in the visions in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, the city’s facilities master plan and other master plans, “all these documents that guide city decision-making,” Speer said.
The City Council discussed potential ballot items three times prior to the June 25 meeting in which it signaled support for putting a measure on the ballot.
Who’s against 2K?
No on 2K has netted the financial support of real estate developers and business leaders.
Real estate developer Peter Aweida of Westland Development has contributed $1,800, campaign finance records show. Dan Caruso, the billionaire founder of Zayo Group, contributed $999. Eli Feldman of Conscience Bay, the real estate developer behind the proposed Pearl Arts District, contributed $950 to the effort. Lauren Feldman, who lives at the same address as Eli and is on the Board of Directors for the All Roads homeless shelter, also contributed $950. Jan Burton, the chair of Open Boulder, threw in $900.
Mayoral candidates Taishya Adams, Aquiles La Grave, Lisa Ann Jacobs, Fred Smith and Jameson “Jamo” Goldstein are against the measure.
Council candidates Benita Duran, Jill Grano, Ryan Jamieson, David Martus, Scott Rendleman and Lynn Segal are also against the measure.
There’s no organized group support for the measure. Mayor Brockett is the only mayoral candidate who supports the measure. City Council candidates Sam Fuqua, Rachel Rose Isaacson, Tina Marquis, Ryan Schuchard and Tara Winer also back the measure. Supporters of the measure include, but aren’t limited to, Boulder City Councilmember Matt Benjamin and the organization Boulder Progressives.
Speer acknowledged the burden the measure could have on businesses and empathized with them, and with people who may be opposed because they simply cannot afford the tax increase right now.
“I would love to have those conversations about how we can support low-income homeowners with some of these property tax increases,” Speer said. “But right now, our very heavy reliance on sales tax is a major obstacle to our ability to have a sustainable and resilient financial system for the city, and it will prevent us from doing a lot of things that need to be done.”
Election day is Nov. 3.
